Four Years in a Day

May 8, 2011: the culmination of 1353 days of classes, relationships and assignments for 617 undergraduate students.

Undergraduate Degree Distribution

For 105 undergraduates, this day will serve as a security for the work they will complete over the summer. 59 others who completed their degrees in the fall semester will have the opportunity to walk with their class.
 
110 graduate students will spend slightly less time concluding their efforts of one to three or more years of work on their graduate degrees the previous day.

The commencement exercises, lasting a few hours, harbors different meanings to different graduates. For Teige Weidner, graduating with a Masters in Business Administration, the commencement serves as the opportunity to show his family what he has accomplished.

Graduate Degree Distribution

Saturday, the commencement day for Graduate students, will also be the culmination of Weidner’s seven years at the University of Portland. During his time on campus, Weidner earned degrees in Music and Spanish in the spring of 2008, worked as a Resident Assistant (RA) in Villa Maria Hall his junior and senior years, helped lead the Villa Maria Drum Squad for Soccer matches, worked for Campus Ministry and served as Assistant Hall Director for Shipstad and Villa Maria Halls over the last three years.

For Bob Alger, a Mechanical Engineering major, Sunday will serve as a last opportunity to interact with friends before they all split off to follow their career paths. “[Graduation] will be a culmination of my 18 years of schooling (including kindergarten and preschool) but the ceremony does not mean much to me personally.”

Kyle Kearney, graduating with degrees in Computer Science and Math, also shares the feeling of ambivalence toward Commencement, considering it “such a small part of the last few weeks of the semester (Founder’s Day presentation, finals and saying goodbye to friends.)”

Brian Burger, a Drama major, is glad to walk on Sunday but not looking forward to the lengthy ceremony he believes could last up to five hours.

Bobby Manson, graduating with Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering, has his fear toward the ceremony but also reminds himself he has had 22 years of preparation for this day, so he hopefully will not be as afraid once he claims his degree.

Biology Major Sam Luty has chosen to view the weekend as the culmination of hard work but also “crazy exciting and wonderful.”

For some graduates, they will leave this weekend knowing what they will be doing. Kearney will take a few weeks off to visit his friend in Montana and relax in San Diego, his hometown, before starting work at the Beaverton, Ore. branch of Cypress Semiconductor, a company manufacturing and designing products using semiconductors.

Alger will try his luck finding work either in Portland or Seattle in the field of robotics. He hopes to work either in dark factories, locations operated solely by robots, on military drones or another branch of robotics that has practical application and room for future expansion. Over the summer Alger will work on staffing concerts and working with his father’s company Seattle Sports Science, producer of the SideKick®, a soccer equivalent of baseball pitching machines.

Tamara Caruso, graduating with a Secondary Education Degree, will walk on Sunday but will be sticking around for the next few weeks as her student teaching comes to a close.

Other graduates have no or little clue. Weidner is hoping to remain in the Portland area near his girlfriend and has been applying all over the area, but he will continue his search around here and up in his Woodinville, Wash. community, in case his Portland job search comes up empty.

What to expect at Graduation (Rob Finch, The Oregonian)

Brian Burger is looking forward to focus solely on Theater and acting rather than worrying to worry about different subjects.

This weekend also means large amounts of relatives will be visiting campus and descending on the Chiles Center for the ceremony featuring an address from the Honorable Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, a member of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, valedictory words from Valedictorian Sean Frederick, and procession lasting up to 35 minutes according to UP’s Commencement page.

Among those waiting for 35 minutes are those who received graduation tickets.  Each graduate receives six general admission tickets for family and friends. Some graduates use their entire allotment; others sell their excess to those who need more. Either way the Chiles Center will receive one final influx of people for the 2010-2011 school year.

Not only do students' families attend graduation, but professors do as well. “I always attend graduation. It is very rewarding to see your students graduate – particularly when it is someone who you have taught in several classes since their first year, and you have seen their development,” Philosophy professor James Baillie said.

Professors are with students their whole college career, some since their freshman year. “It's like watching your own children grow up and mature before your own eyes. It's very rewarding to see my student’s blossom from "clueless"/"deer-in-the-headlights" freshmen into mature, confident adults at commencement, ready to take on the world. I am very proud of them, indeed," School of Engineering professor Peter Osterberg said.

“It’s sort of sad to see them graduate but it beats hell out of the alternative,” Environmental Science department chair and professor Steve Kolmes said.

Regardless of their future plans, those graduating have beaten the alternative.

Right photo: Clockwise: Sara Jackman '11, Alex Dowling '11, Dustin Matinkhah '11 Erik Oreschak '11, Kassi McCluskie '12
Left photo: Top: Rachael Hartz '11, Emily Rizzo '11, Kamuri Yeh '11. Bottom: Kim Troy '11, Madeleine Sweet '11, Caty Walsh '11

Graduate School Commencement will start at 1pm Saturday, May 7th and Undergraduate Commencement will start at 2pm Sunday, May 8th.
 
We asked six seniors who is in their six, what graduation means to them and one of their most memorable moments from their four years.